Ford End’s story
9 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Ford End’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Ford EndEssex
Home to 347 people, this village lies in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: NewInEngland · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
347
Census 2021 · Chelmsford council
Median age
50
25% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ford End a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Ford End is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. One in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 9, with 0 at Grade I. It skews older: 25% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Ford End stand out
The 3 things Ford End does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 10.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
25% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ford End.
Who lives here
Ford End has fewer young adults than Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 7.6% are 15 to 24
Degrees are held by 28% of adults, close to Essex’s towns (27%) and below England’s towns (34%). Typical age in Ford End: 50, the median.
50median age
Ford EndEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Ford End | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.2% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Ford End
Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: two thirds of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below. The town’s primary school has 47 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford End Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 47 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Ford End: 16% commute under 5 km, below Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 88% of commuters, above Essex’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. A household here earns £70K a year before tax, on average. Of the commuters living in Ford End, 8% work in the town itself. The town counts 1.7 jobs per working resident.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot3%
Train3%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£70K
mean household income, before tax
2.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Few households rent privately in Ford End: 14%, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Nearly a fifth of households live in social housing. Private rents average £1,439 a month across the Chelmsford council area. The owner-occupied share of households is 67%.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ford End£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £732,500 | 6 |
67%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,439
average private rent a month, Chelmsford council area
£2,356
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Ford End records less violent crime per resident than Essex’s towns or England’s towns, at 9.6 per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 12 offences were reported in Ford End. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.9 reports per 1,000, lower than both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were a third of the crimes.
9.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Vehicle crime5
Violence & sexual4
Burglary2
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Drugs0
Anti-social0
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
9.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
12
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Just 1.7% of people in Ford End say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Ford End has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.1 miles away. At the census, 88% of people in Ford End called their health good or very good, above both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). 12% of residents in Ford End live with a disability.
88%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Ford End | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Old homes shape Ford End: 33% were built before 1919, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Ford End has 259 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above Essex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39) alike.
9listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II9
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
259
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ford End
12pages on Ford End
The big questions
Ford End’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
FelstedLittle DunmowLittle WalthamGreat LeighsBroomfieldGreat DunmowRayneFord End
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford End | 347 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Felsted | 1,233 | 2.4 | — | B− | B+ | A− |
| Little Dunmow | 2,644 | 2.7 | B+ | B+ | B | A |
| Little Waltham | 1,038 | 3 | — | C | B− | A− |
| Great Leighs | 2,968 | 3.1 | A | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Broomfield | 3,491 | 4 | A− | B− | D− | B+ |
| Great Dunmow | 10,395 | 4.6 | A− | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Rayne | 2,169 | 4.7 | — | B− | B | A |
Felsted, Little Waltham and Rayne have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ford End
How many listed buildings are there in Ford End?
That is 10.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Ford End?
Band D council tax in Ford End is £2,356 for 2026–27, less than in 65% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Ford End
Village in Essex, England
Ford End is a built-up area of 347 people, in the Chelmsford council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 347 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chelmsford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004279
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.